The first developer beta of iOS 26.4 is rolling out, and with it, Apple is flipping a major security switch for buyers. A security feature that was previously optional is now enabled by default for everyone, making it harder for thieves to change your iPhone’s critical settings.

We’re talking about Stolen Device Protection (first released with iOS 17.3), the feature that is designed to protect your Apple ID, saved passwords, payment methods, and other sensitive information, even if someone knows your iPhone’s passcode.

Changing critical security settings requires more than just a passcode

The feature asks for more credentials than your iPhone’s passcode (such as Face ID or Touch ID) for actions like viewing or using passwords or passkeys saved in iCloud, viewing an existing Apple card or applying for a new one, turning off the Lost Mode, and erasing all the content and settings.

Further, the feature also delays changing critical security settings, such as the Apple ID password, adding or removing trusted devices, changing the iPhone’s passcode, and adding/removing Face ID or Touch ID, for an hour.

It also requires biometric authentication, followed by a one-hour security delay and a second biometric confirmation before changes can be made.

Why this matters

Basically, by enabling Stolen Device Protection in iOS 26.4, Apple is making it harder for bad actors to exploit the critical information stored on your phone or to reset it and sell it for quick cash.

In other words, your iPhone will be more paranoid than usual, even when you’re using it, but it is better to have the feature and not need it than to need it and realize that you didn’t turn it on (which is the entire point of making it a non-optional feature).

Elsewhere, the iOS 26.4 developer beta also includes encrypted RCS messaging support, native video support in Apple Podcasts, and a new Playlist Playground feature in Apple Music. A full public release of iOS 26.4 is expected this spring.

Apple AirTags have speakers in them, and the speaker is not entirely under the owner’s control. [Shahram] shows how the speaker of an AirTag can be disabled while keeping the device watertight. Because AirTags are not intended to be opened or tampered with, doing so boils down to making a hole in just the right place, as the video demonstrates.

How does putting a hole in the enclosure not compromise water resistance? By ensuring the hole is made in an area that is already “inside” the seal. In an AirTag, that seal is integrated into the battery compartment.

Behind the battery, the enclosure has a small area of thinner plastic that sits right above the PCB, and in particular, right above the soldered wire of the speaker. Since this area is “inside” the watertight seal, a hole can be made here without affecting water resistance.

Disabling the speaker consists of melting through that thin plastic with a soldering iron then desoldering the (tiny) wire and using some solder wick to clean up. It’s not the prettiest operation, but there are no components nor any particularly heat-sensitive bits in that spot. The modification has no effect on water resistance, and isn’t even visible unless the battery is removed.

In the video below, [Shahram] uses a second generation AirTag to demonstrate the mod, then shows that the AirTag still works normally while now being permanently silenced.

Why would one want to permanently silence an AirTag, putting it into so-called “stealth mode”? That’s a good question. If you’re not familiar, one of the circumstances under which AirTags emit sound is if it is separated from its owner and has been moving with someone else for some period of time. Intended as an anti-stalking feature, [Shahram] points out that this behavior can also be a nuisance or straight up undesirable. For example, one may be using the tag on a pet collar, to track one’s luggage, or on a potential theft target like a bike. Modern phones in any case alert their owners if a tag they do not own appears to be moving with them, also as an anti-stalking measure.

In [Shahram]’s case, he has hidden an AirTag on his bike. He figures that if his bike should be stolen, a beeping AirTag would announce its existence to the thief and they would in all likelihood simply locate and discard the tracker. But if the tag is silent, the thief — still notified by their phone that a tracker is with them but unable to locate it on the bike — would be more likely to discard the bike instead, allowing it to be safely recovered.

Regardless, the process shows how a careful understanding of a device’s internals can allow for modifications that don’t require opening the whole thing, and the process is a bit reminiscent of drilling into a Stadia controller to permanently disable the mic.

Apple Music is following in Spotify’s footsteps with a new AI-powered playlist creation tool that lets users generate personalized playlists using text prompts. Apple has introduced the feature in the latest iOS 26 beta release, and it allows users to describe an activity, mood, or vibe to instantly build a custom playlist tailored to their request.

According to MacRumors, the Playlist Playground feature is live in the first iOS 26.4 beta and adds a text box to the bottom of the playlist creation page in Apple Music where users can enter their prompt. The app offers a couple of pre-set suggestions such as “morning coffee music,” “hip-hop party songs,” and “disco songs that defined the 1970s” to help users get started.

After selecting a suggestion or entering a custom prompt, Playlist Playground generates a 25-song playlist complete with a custom title. Users can further refine the mix by tapping the “Customize playlist” button at the bottom to add more prompts, change the title, or select a custom playlist cover.

It’s not immediately clear whether Playlist Playground takes a user’s playback history into account when generating a custom playlist. Spotify’s alternative does, allowing it to create mixes that more closely match the user’s taste. Apple is expected to share more details about how the feature works ahead of its stable release.

For now, Playlist Playground is limited to Apple Music users running the latest iOS beta build. The feature is expected to roll out more widely once iOS 26.4 hits the stable channel.